The Didache

by Charles H. Hoole

[1894]

This is a translation of an apocryphal text, the Didache,
or the 'two ways,' a set of ethical precepts attributed to
the original apostles.
In the introduction, Hoole presents evidence that it was
derived from other apocryphal works,
such as the Shepherd of Hermas,
and the Epistle of Barnabas.
However, modern scholars are certain that
the Didache dates to the late first or early second century.
It was considered canonical by some of the Church Fathers.
It was eventually rejected from the canon, but is still considered
part of the collection of Apostolic Fathers by the Catholic Church.
The text was lost, but was rediscovered in 1873 in a Greek Codex
written in 1075 and published along with other texts in 1883.
As such it represents a window into a very early Christianity,
including information on rituals such as baptism,
and the itinerant ministry of the time.--J.B. Hare, Jan. 3, 2010.